


Day 2: something that rings true

by UltimateProtagonistNerd



Series: HimiKiyo Week Content [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Denial, Hurt/Comfort, Nonbinary Shinguji Korekiyo, Other, Past Sexual Abuse, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:08:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27891277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UltimateProtagonistNerd/pseuds/UltimateProtagonistNerd
Summary: Korekiyo was very beautiful and Intelligent. Himiko is extremely frustrated about one of the few things they don't seem to understand.When they finally do she's more than ready to be there to help work it all out.
Relationships: Shinguji Korekiyo/Shinguji Korekiyo's Sister (formerly), Shinguji Korekiyo/Yumeno Himiko
Series: HimiKiyo Week Content [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042371
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10
Collections: himikiyo week





	Day 2: something that rings true

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2 has a higher rating because it's a little heavier and more direct in it's discussion of Kiyo's past.

The survivors of the 53 rd Season of Danganronpa were promised they would live the rest of their lives as comfortably and unbothered as possible. It was part of the deal that had been struck, Team Danganronpa could make money off their likeness as long as they were each compensated for it and lived somewhere safe from potential harm.

When they got released into the real world, they found they were practically celebrities. For the most part, they just wanted to be left alone, with one exception. They were Shuichi Saihara, Maki Harukawa, Himiko Yumeno, Korekiyo Shinguji, K1B0 and lastly was Tsumugi Shirogane, the one who ran the entire show who reveled in being allowed to live after they found her out as well as the attention and adulation of the crowds who ate up the “Ultimate Real Fiction”.

The other five largely distanced themselves from her except for when they were legally bound to show up to some event or another. All of them were given apartments next to each other, two to one and three to the other and were allowed freedom for the most part. Freedom, therapy visits, bi-weekly payments and medication.

That freedom meant internet access, and consequently the ability to go read the comments about the season on the various fan sites, blogs, and social media pages. Seemingly hundreds of thousands of people had “ships” and theories and character analysis pieces. Accounts were dedicated to each contestant, and the dead had numerous online shrines dedicated to them, some far more popular than others.

Korekiyo Shinguji, as both an Anthropologist and a participant who’d escaped took a particular interest in this subculture. It had advanced beyond what they remembered from before having been selected. The more personal angle now added morbid curiosity about how they were perceived by the audience.

It was hard not to think back to the trial that revealed everything, after they’d ended up killing Tenko Chabashira who the night previously had killed Angie Yonaga in cold blood, they were originally thought to have been behind both deaths. It wasn’t their finest showing in a class trial but even freaking out and truly losing composure the first time the entire killing game, compelled to confess to all of it or cope with potentially not being able to see the class bloom into greater examples of human beauty. It was all met with revulsion or hatred from many of those that were remaining. It was entirely to be expected, as Sister’s love was forbidden, but it still oddly stung coming from classmates, more than Kiyo ever expected it to.

Even still, she was less and less needed recently with more friends around, closer friends than anyone who wasn’t her ever got before. Also helping was being put on proper medication and into therapy like the others. She didn’t seem like she wanted to but still she spoke to Kiyo sometimes, mainly to berate them for being too close with another girl. Or while letting the stress get to them it could be about any number of things in recent weeks or months where there was a small, entirely human mistake made.

But after the thing that caused their second major breakdown in front of the others, learning that allegedly most if not all of the memories were fabricated as part of the game, it was hard to tell how real this voice was, which would earn more complaints and vitriol down the line for even believing someone like Tsumugi, "A very obvious liar". Odd and vague potential past memories would flare up from time to time and that too would make Sister upset.

A search in the government’s records did eventually turn up a pair of siblings that matched the appearances of Sister and Kiyo in the latter’s memories of the past, the older of which did in fact die some time before Korekiyo went to sign up for Danganronpa 53. And searching that discovery online brought them back around to those fan communities. Kiyo was up late on a laptop reading forum posts about each of the survivors when their name popped up, and the thread inside held quite disturbing accusations against the older sister. 

They were calling it child grooming and sexual abuse. Not just the OP, but most fans in the thread seemed to all agree with that assessment of events. It was enough that Kiyo wasn’t sure which memories were fake and which were real but if that were true, it would undermine everything they thought they knew all over again. Their hand ran through their hair as they steadied brething to keep composure. It was distressing enough the anthropologist couldn’t hear or feel Himiko approach over the shoulder until she was asking what was going on and why Kiyo was still up.

The mage rubbed some gunk out of her eyes. “If you’re also having trouble sleeping, we should go cuddle.” Her red hair was messy from tossing and turning without them, tufts of it clearly sticking up.

“Sure. I was just finishing. Got sucked down a bit of a rabbit hole reading some fan theories about myself.” They closed it and yawned while putting it away on its shelf in the shared “work” area. The distress was perhaps evident, even as they faked nonchalance. 

“Yeah? Well what was it about.” A concerned pout came across the shorter girl's lips as the other turned around to face her after shutting off the device. 

Kiyo built up a further poker face and chuckled. “Well, it was quite silly in my opinion. The thread I was just on had a bunch of things about how I am supposedly a victim of abuse and grooming by Sister.” A strong defensive reaction like this was surely inevitable. 

Himiko held herself from saying something too harsh or potentially regrettable as she took their arm and started leading back to the bedroom. Gently she felt along Kiyo’s arm. Giving as much soft affection as she could to give herself time to phrase this question properly. “Do you know and understand the reasoning behind it? What would you think if you heard about another little sibling in a situation like that?”

This subject was sore for her, because that being the truth was so blindingly obvious to her ever since the other confessed during the third trial. Himiko was hesitant to bring it up, because the few times another survivor asked about that woman Kiyo would still heap praise, as if speaking ill of the dead was the single taboo they wouldn’t break in some manner. 

Kiyo replied after some thought, returning her touches with their own. “Well, I suppose I would have my own suspicions about them. But I know more about our situation than these people do, and I don’t agree with that framing.” They sat on the bed next to her as she helped off the upper layers and gently rubbed their back.

“Sure, honey. Yeah, you do know more than them.” A slight edge to her tone possibly belied the fact she didn't believe those words. It was painful to say but it would be more painful if it carried on and deprived both of them of even more rest. Dealing with that was a long-term issue and could wait after all. Himiko sighed as the blanket was pulled over the couple with Kiyo behind her being the big spoon, something that really accentuated the height difference. Kiyo was pretty and wonderful and one of the smartest people Himiko ever met but was also capable of incredible feats of reality denial and it drove her up the wall. Even to tears when she was alone and thought too much about it. There were times Kiyo came back sooner than expected and noticed something was wrong, and she'd come up with something else about the killing game and push it in as they did everything they could to make her feel better about surviving.

Aside from this problem the couple largely had as normal and boring of a life as possible, which was a welcome change of pace all things considered. The occasional double date with Shuichi and Maki, and now professional third (or fifth) wheel Kibo to someplace nice, or to visit one of the local shrines where they’d all inevitably get a patented Kiyo anthropology lesson or a fun movie one of them convinced the others to drag themselves out to the cinema. Getting stopped on the street and recognized, the occasional run-in with a weird fan or some tabloid paparazzi types were peppered in there to spice things up.

Several times after such events, when they were both alone again, she wanted to bring it up to the love of her life but always stopped short, even when Kiyo prodded upon noticing she was hesitating about something. She’d always retreat and give some other excuse. She was tired and lost her train of thought, she just needed snuggles, this, or that or the other thing. A sheepish smile and rub of the back of her neck, always avoiding that particular room-dwelling elephant.

Himiko was almost completely certain this would go on indefinitely, possibly as long as both of them lived. Kiyo was a great storyteller, and apparently that came with being able to weave a story for themselves that wouldn’t shatter any of their comforting illusions. It felt hopeless to even bring it up so she just let it be and prayed that the therapist would be able to corner them in a way she didn’t feel she had the guts to pull off.

But one night, after so many long months of the same routine they were both having a night where it was hard to go to sleep immediately despite being in bed with arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders. Her eyes were droopy, and she was about halfway to slumber when she noticed Kiyo moving their free hand to cover their mouth like one would covering a yawn. She wasn’t sure if it was her tired brain, but she didn’t hear any yawning. Their breathing in their chest was too deep and ragged it was more like coughing.

No. On second thought it was more like… crying. She looked up tentatively, eyes adjusted to the dark enough she could see the teardrops glistening slowly down the side of their beautiful face. Then she heard, muffled through their fingers. “They were right. About all of it. And I just…” their deep breathes in and out failing to stabilize at first. 

She couldn’t immediately put it together. Even as she shifted to look into their eyes and reach a hand to that pale cheek. They spoke again before she could ask a question about what was being said.

“And you were too, y-you knew it too. Y-y-you were r-right and t-trying to tell me.”

It hit her hard and fast. A single “Oh…” dropped from her mouth. “Oh my god. Kiyo-chan. You don’t mean…” She gently leaned across their chest and placed her hand to caress their other cheek and wipe some of the tears away on that side too.

“Himiko I- I must apologize, for being so dismissive all this time. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s okay, let it out. You’re safe now, I’m here for you. You know that.” She shifted back to her previous position to gently invite them to hug and hold on better. 

“I’m such a fool.” Kiyo managed to gasp out between wretches.

“No... Please don’t beat yourself up sweetheart.”

They turned over and laid on her closest shoulder to them, her shirt sleeve fabric began soaking in the waterworks. Both her arms kept them close, gently wrapping around the anthropologist’s neck and shoulders. Now they were crying wordless as Himiko’s fingers ran through their hair and shoulders.

Kiyo started to sit up. Himiko was clinging back onto them so she was sat upright now as well. They were taking deep breaths, slowly but surely calming and wiping the rest of their own tears away.

Himiko ran her hand along the length of Kiyo’s arm, look up at them to plead that it would all be okay, and that they could cry as long as needed. “I can tell you’re trying not to cry much for my sake, but please.” Her fingers laced with their thin and bony ones. “I’m telling you it’s fine to do that.”

Kiyo sighed deeply and buried themselves in their hands to sob again. Himiko continued to rub them softly, a little smile forming on her own lips as she closed her eyes and felt herself getting choked up as well. Her prayer that Kiyo would finally realize how awful of a person their older sister was has now been answered. This would allow them both to move on freely from this, as much as it hurt them in this moment.

The couple lost track of how long they cried and held each other like that, crying together. It was noon the next day before either of them stirred from slumber. Surprisingly, it was Himiko who got up first. She lightly coughed and found herself buried in Kiyo’s chest. She gently slipped out and walked over to the bedroom window and opened it a crack. The sounds of the neighborhood were allowed in, as was the faint smell of fresh rain that had fallen last night.

She looked over at the bed again to see the faint rising and falling of her girlfriend curled on their side facing the wall and couldn’t help but smile before leaving the room. “My turn to cook breakfast, I guess. Shouldn’t be too much of a pain”.

She plopped butter into a frying pan and set the heat on. She pulled out the egg carton and set up a bowl and scrambled up some omelets, cooking in some peppers and ham like the recipe in the book on the counter laid out.

As she took a break to yawn and stretch, she heard the bedroom door just down the hall opening. Kiyo came out in pajamas and slowly approaches to give her a hug. She happily returns it.

“Good morning Kiyo-chan!” she chirped.

Kiyo smiled back down with a giggle and let her go after a few soft moments like that. “Please make sure not to burn the eggs, we can talk shortly.” They rubbed the back of their neck before walking the short distance away.

And so, she got back to it, wouldn’t want to charr some comfort food for the wifey, that just wouldn’t do. Kiyo was seated at the table, all ready to be served. She marveled at how easy motivation has been coming to her recently and this was yet another example. It’s all for them.

She plated up two plates and brought them over, setting hers down first and rounding the corner of the table to crawl up onto their lap as she put Kiyo’s plate down. The red-haired mage snuggled into the lanky anthropologist’s chest. “I love you so much.” She mumbled happily.

Kiyo took a deep breathe, holding her close with eyes closed. Simply feeling the moment in its warmth and domesticity. “I was going to say I apologize for the outburst last night, but I know you don’t think I owe you one for something like that. So instead I would like to thank you for your patience and kindness when dealing with me, darling.”

She figured that would be the direction this would go; Kiyo was sharp as ever. There were no apologies needed for something like that. It wasn’t their fault.

Kiyo looked down, meeting her eyes again as their heart fluttered. They kissed her right on the forehead. “I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

“Same. If you told me that immediately after that trial though… I’d have thought the suggestion was crazy.”

“Yet you gave me a chance in our darkest moments and have shown me the most beautiful of humanity. Which is something I’m not sure I can thank you enough for.”

The redhead blushed. “Kiyo… you don’t need to. Every day we’re together this way is enough of a thanks.” She reached out and bopped a finger on their nose. “So that’s all I need in return too.”

Kiyo caressed along her cheek and leaned in to kiss her again, longer this time. Really savoring it for as long as was possible.

They started laughing afterward as Himiko wiped away another round of tears.

“What’s so funny Kiyo-chan?” her brow quirked in confusion.

“For the first time in years I really feel like I’m confident everything will work out fine. Thank you so much, my love.” They rested their cheek on her shoulder just a little while longer, feeling like a weight has been lifted from their chest.


End file.
